The Scarf
by La Vie Musicale
Summary: Rikku and Paine have a conversation about why Rikku wears a scarf all the time. RikkuXGippal, even though it's a conversation between Rikku and Paine.


**Yevon,****I****haven****'****t****played****this****game****in****forever~!****But****I****love****this****pairing****so****much~!****So****this****is****Rikku****and****Gippal****pairing,****but****it****'****s****mostly****Paine****is****in****it~!****With****a****little****bit****of****Yuna~!****Hope****you****enjoy****it~!****I****don****'****t****own~!**

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><p><strong>The Scarf<strong>

**Rating: K+**

**Pairing: Rikku/Gippal**

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><p>Rikku sat on the deck of the Celsius, on their way somewhere from Djose. They had just gotten a raise, and Rikku was the only one who could haggle with Gippal in order to get a decent raise.<p>

"What are you doing up here?" A voice asked Rikku turned and found Paine walking towards her.

"Nothing much. I just like watching the sights as we go there." She said burying into her scarf. Paine eyed it, and sat next to her.

"So, what's with the scarf? Why do you where it all the time?"

"I-It's no reason..." Rikku said with a tiny blush.

"C'mon, Rikku. Tell me. I'll keep it a secret."

Rikku shook her head. "It's just… embarrassing!" She cried. "Not even Yunie knows!"

Paine blinked. "It must be big if you can't tell Yuna."

Rikku nodded. "But… if I tell you… can I get some respect points back?"

Paine smirked. "Maybe. Depends on how good the secret is."

Rikku sighed and reached under her scarf and pulled out a gold ring on a silver chain. Paine blinked.

"You're embarrassed by a ring?"

Rikku sighed and nodded. Paine blinked.

"Is it your mother's?" It looks like a wedding ring."

Rikku shook her head and pulled off her right glove and revealed a silver ring. "This is my sudran's. The gold one is mine."

"So, wait, you're married?" Paine asked. Rikku quickly shook her head.

"You remember that fight me and Pop had? He was saying something along the lines of 'You girls need to settle down and _cred_ like that? Well, as soon as Brother kicked him off of the ship, he went to Djose and gave an order I was a little less than pleased with."

"So… you're engaged too…?"

Rikku blushed. "Do you really need to ask?"

Paine gave a smirk. "So, how long have you two been together?"

"Together, or engaged?" Rikku asked giving a tug at her scarf, loosening it. She revealed a couple healing bruises, and one fresh, big one.

"Rikku." Paine gasped with faux surprise. "I didn't know you were that kind of girl!"

"How do you think we got such a good raise?" Rikku sighed, fastened her scarf again. "It's a heck of a bargaining chip."

"And how often does this happen?"

"Probably every other time I got there. I do try to keep busy with work. But sometimes, things just happen…"

"When's the wedding?"

Rikku shrugged. "I dunno…"

"Why didn't you say something at Yadonoki*?"

"Didn't know anything at that point... I think he was trying to get Gippal to agree…"

"And you?" Paine asked.

"A little more than a month after Gippal agreed, only because he was bugging me every day on my mini commsphere, and I couldn't ignore the calls, 'cuz I'd get yelled at afterwards… I mean, after Sin was destroyed, I wasn't in a hurry to get married, because I knew there wasn't the constant threat of possibly dying. So, really, what's the point of not waiting anymore? But in the end, it all boils down to Pops being impatient. He wants to retire, he wants to be a grandpa… it's really out of my hands."

"So, have you made any moves towards making him a granddad?" Paine smirked.

"Why haven't you told Yuna?"

Rikku shrugged. "It's embarrassing… I do want to tell her, but it's weird to tell her that I'm engaged, too. I want to marry him, but definitely not yet…"

"Just tell her. She'll be happy to hear it. Then, she'll be related to Gippal."

Rikku blushed.

"Plus, you love him, and he loves you." Paine said. "He wouldn't have agreed to it if he didn't. Plus, you were all he talked about."

Rikku gave a small smile.

"Or do you want ME to tell her?"

"I'll do it…" Rikku said. "Can you get her, please? And can you stay here when I tell her?"

Paine gave a small smile. "Sure. I'll be right back."

Paine returned momentarily with Yuna at her side. The latter had a face of confusion.

"Rikku? What's the matter? Paine told me that you had something important that you needed to tell me."

Rikku got butterflies in her stomach. "Well, y-yeah… She's right…"

"Well, what is it?"

"W-well… it's about… this…" She said, pulling the ring from under her scarf. "And… why I wear my scarf all the time…"

"Okay. Why do you wear it all the time? You even wear it in the desert." Yuna said with a tiny giggle.

"To hide this." Rikku said, holding the ring. Yuna gave a confused look.

"Why?"

"I don't want everyone to know yet. About my engagement." Rikku said. Yuna gave a confused look.

"Why?"

"I don't want everyone to know yet. About my engagement." Rikku said. Yuna's eyes widened.

"What! You're engaged!" Yuna said. She watched Rikku nod and blushed furiously. "To who?"

"Um-"

"Wait! It's not like the Seymour thing right?"

"No… It's Gippal." Rikku said.

"Wait… He proposed? Were you two even dating?"

"Well, not exactly… and kinda… But it was Pops' idea. He just wants the Al-bhed's future set I guess. And since I'm daughter of the Leader, and Gippal's become an overnight sensation… He thinks we have a good chance of leading the Al-bhed… It's just I don't want that yet. And I guess… if I never told anyone, then it wasn't real, and I didn't have to think about it…"

"I'm sure he was thinking of the Al-bhed, but he was also thinking of you." Yuna said. "He wants to make sure his only daughter is taken care of after he's gone. And he knows Gippal can take care of you." She ended with a smile. "Do you WANT to marry him?"

Rikku nodded. "I do… Just not yet…"

"Then you don't have to. Uncle Cid's not going anywhere anytime soon."

Rikku smiled. "You're right…"

"Show her the other reason you wear the scarf…" Paine smirked.

Rikku gave Paine a desperate look. "Paine…"

"I'll give you all your respect points back…" Paine said with a slight sing song voice.

Rikku sighed and pulled off her scarf. Yuna gasped and blushed at all the bruise marks on her neck.

"Rikku…? Did he do that to you…?" Yuna asked. Rikku nodded with a huge blush. Paine smirked.

"Makes you wanna go back and see what she's done to him…"

Yuna nodded. "Hey, Brother! Turn back to Djose! We forgot something!"

"Rogerrr!" Brother yelled.

The Celsius returned to Djose in less than ten minutes. For once, Rikku wasn't bounding off the ship. As soon as she saw Gippal her face erupted into a blush. Yuna and Paine went straight up to him, Yuna with a blush, and Paine with a smirk.

"Can I help you ladies with something?"

"Yeah, show us your neck." Paine said.

"My… neck?" Gippal blinked.

Yuna nodded. "I-if you don't mind…"

"Um… okay… here."

Yuna and Paine saw bruises and over his neck. Paine smirked.

"I didn't know she was this dangerous."

"Who?" Gippal asked.

"The person who just 'bargained' a raise for us. Don't play dumb." Paine said. Gippal shrugged.

"Worth a try. Let's talk in my office. It's still not a well known fact." Gippal said. He smirked at Rikku, who shyly smiled back. The whole group followed him to the office. He grabbed Rikku's hand and dragged her over to his desk, sitting her on his lap. He nuzzled into her neck.

"It feels nice to let go, just a little…"

Yuna blushed. "O-oh my…"

"Don't worry." Gippal smirked. "We'll stay PG rated." He reached under her scarf and pulled out the ring from under it. "I'm guess you know."

Yuna nodded. Gippal just smirked. "And I'm guessing you're looking for invites."

"Kind of." Paine said.

"If you want the honest truth, it's Rikku's call. I mean, I agreed as soon as Cid proposed the idea. But I'm not going to rush into a wedding if she's not ready." Gippal said, rubbing her back and nuzzling into her neck. "So, we're keeping it a secret until we're both ready. I still like being called a playboy even if I intend to spend every waking moment of my life doting over my girl." He finished, kissing her cheek.

"I told you." Rikku said. "Don't go around trying to make me jealous."

"But you're just so cute when you're jealous." Gippal chuckled.

"Well, what if I went around and made you jealous?" Rikku asked innocently. "It wouldn't be hard, since I'm so cute."

Yuna and Paine looked at each other.

"So, how long had this really lasted?" Paine asked.

Rikku tilted her head. "A little before Vegnagun, I think. In the Farplane, when Paine got her sphere."

"A while then." Yuna said. Rikku nodded, and got off Gippal's lap.

"We done here? Don't we have things to do or something?"

Gippal intertwined their fingers. "Aw, you sure you wanna leave so soon?" He kissed her hand.

Rikku looked at him and nodded. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll be back soon."

"When will it be for good?" Gippal asked seriously.

Rikku shrugged. "I dunno. We'll talk about it later." She said with a smile. Gippal stood up, cupped her face, and kissed her softly. He pulled back and looked at her swirled green eyes.

"You promise?"

Rikku looked at him. She nodded. "Of course."

Rikku slipped out of Gippal's grasp, and walked out of his office. Paine put an arm around Rikku's shoulder, and Yuna and arm around her waist.

"You got a pretty good guy, Rikku." Paine said. "So good luck."

Yuna nodded. "I'm sure everything will work out."

"Hopefully." Rikku smiled.

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><p><strong>I love Rikku and Gippal paired together. I wish it actually happened. By the way, if you don't know, Yadonoki is the place that YRP (YuRiPa) went to in Final Fantasy X-2: InternationalThe Last Mission. It's very much like the Via Infinito in FFX-2~! I've never played it, and I probably won't because I hated the Via Infinito… Anyways! Hope you enjoyed it. Please review~! Lots of Love~!**


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